What Are You Doing Here? We have no idea what to do with this space. If you have an idea, please let us know. Thanks! No camping, please.

What Are You Doing Here? We have no idea what to do with this space. If you have an idea, please let us know. Thanks! No camping, please.

Union Station Awarded the Denver by the Slice “Top Tacky Tree Trophy” for 2nd Year!

November 28, 2011

Of all the nice holiday lights Downtown every season, one part of one display always stands out. Every year, someone climbs up the flagpole in front of Union Station and throws down a few strands of LED lights which are attached around the bottom. The result loosely remembles the shape of a holiday tree.

Union Station...Elves or Visionaries at Work?

The Union Station “Tree” stands dead-center in front of the historic building which, itself, is routinely and tastefully swathed in colored lights. The “tree” cuts into smooth color transitions and pokes aimlessly toward the sky, awaiting its few fans having their pictures taken underneath (the lucky ones with Dinger-Klaus) to send off to Facebook.

Meanwhile, for those unlucky enough to have to stay at home last Friday to look out the window, television covered the lighting ceremonies. KCNC, Channel 4, did, in fact, show a 5-second shot of Carolers from the station prior to its “Grand Illumination.” Then, they switched to a program at the Civic Center leading up to the annual lighting there. That program showed very little of the lighting and festivities, but they did play a lot of music from a new Christmas album by Opie Gone Bad. If you had to watch…then try to find a highlight…you would have no choice but to choose the duet between Opie lead singer Jake Schroeder and Denver First Lady Mary Louise Lee. They combined on a version of “Edelweiss” that was so bad, one could be concerned about renewed hostilities.

Now, the lights are on. Civic Center, 16th Street Mall, Skyline Park (where they have real trees and ice-skating and such) and at Union Station. That’s one tacky tree there at the station. Shouldn’t be too hard to find an RTD bus to run the poor thing down. It is standing still!

Surely some company, or would be developer, would see the value in this location. For a real Holiday tree. Or, a hotel.